Harley Benton Custom Line King-CE NT Reviews

It's a head turner!

Now had this guitar a few months and it has proved to be excellent. My first guitar purchased via the Internet so was a bit sceptical of having not tried it out first. However it was perfect straight out of the box. I wanted an acoustic predominantly for strumming and this model is perfect for it. The best bit of owning it is the looks of admiration I get from other musicians for its appearance, and the compliments on its sound quality.

Had high expectations; They were met

I bought a slightly older model of this guitar three years ago, different from the current one in nothing but mild aesthetic changes. The guitar looks elegant as hell in its natural finish. I’m not very into golden hardware but this guitar is the exception. Having previously owned a dreadnought, I anticipated its size would be an issue when playing in different positions, but again I was wrong. It was more comfortable than I anticipated for my height (170 cm-ish), and although the beautifully finished neck was not of my personal taste, as months went by I got used to it. It is very loud if needed, and sounds nice through the amp as well. It’s tone suits any genre I played on it well. Choosing to import an instrument rather than just buying one at a local store not only proved itself not a bad idea; in fact, it was a great one. What a guitar my first Harley Benton is!

Superb quality guitar

Have purchased other Harley Benton acoustic/electric guitars and always found that they are excellent value. Minor problems with finish on one, and another had to be replaced but they have good sound quality, are playable and with good features on each of them. However, this one tops the lot! Opening the box was a real treat as the finish of the guitar is flawless throughout and it looks beautiful, a real eye pleaser. Nice book matched top, subtle but pleasing Maple grain on sides and back, smooth fingerboard, no sharp edges on the frets. Removing the plastic cover over the sound hole produced a whiff of sweet smelling Maple...a sound of something inside the guitar was puzzling but it was only a moisture absorbing packet that was easily removed. I left the guitar to acclimatise for a day before tuning and when I came to play it was somewhat disappointed with the sound, not as loud or full as I had expected but it is easy to play, lovely comfortable neck and the action set up is right for an acoustic. I played it every day for a week and what a change! The sound has blossomed, it is full, rich, warm with just the right amount of top, mid and bass response. Strumming and picking sound equally good. All in all as good, if not better, than some top name guitars that I have played and excellent value for money.

great guitar

Terrible pre amp. I removed it as soon as I tried it and replaced it with a btter on.

Good to go straight out of the box

OK, so I've given 5 stars across the board in line with my expectations. Obviously I wasn't expecting a 70s Gibson J200 sound for 249€!

For the money though, it's incredibly good. I fact, apart from the bottom E being a little flat, it was in tune and playable straight out of the box, which was amazing.

The build is solid and clean and nicely finished. It plays well and - crucially, for me - the intonation is good so that it's in tune no matter where on the fretboard you are (I've had some more expensive acoustics where this was definitely not the case)

So, all good, I would recommend and say that it's worth every cent.

THE BEST ACOUSTIC GUITAR IN THE SHOP!

We have many guitars in the collection and I have to say, with out a doubt that this Custom Line King is a tremendous value and has the quality, fit and finish, and the sound and tone that rivals similar models. In a head to head comparison by studio musicians this guitar was preferred over comparable guitars costing much more. The neck profile is perfect and the tone woods used provide a clear and crisp sound while maintaining a warm bottom end making it perfect for all styles of music. The playability of this model makes it a favorite and the best deal in acoustic guitars at this price point. You just can't get this quality and sound from any other maker out there today. Period.

perfect

great guitar perfect tone love it

beyond belief

I have owned and played many guitars in my lifetime and this is the best one yet. I have played quite a few different J200's (including a couple of 100% handmade ones) which this appears to be based off of and the quality of build, playability, and sound quality are just as good or better than any of them. It arrived within 10 days of being ordered already setup the way i like it to play. The strings that came on it were very good quiality but i must say it sounds even better with Earthworks 80/20's on it. The church band I play with has asked that I use only this guitar and not my Celebrity or Hummingbird anymore. The price I paid to include shipping was beyond belief worth it and I will definitely be looking into more Harley Benton products.

Killer jumbo

I ordered this guitar from a recommendation of a friend I was shocked at the prices even with shipping To U.S.A. got it in one week awesome packed very well un boxed and wow just wow beautiful build beautiful wood it played well out of the box but strings were to heavy for me changed to 10s

And lowered action at same time frets are smooth did not need file not it is to my liking the wood is maple neck is maple w/rosewood fretboard has a very bright sound which I like I might just buy another model and add to my collection

Great guitar!

Have had this guy for about 2 years. The tuning stability is great, and it's pretty comfortable to play (as long as you're okay with the larger Jumbo Frame). It sounds great Mic'd up too. All around solid guitar (specially for the price).

VFM

Considering the price this is a very good option for a cheap, gigable and appealing to the eye and hands guitar

One of the best

Awesome guitar,from the perfect body to the most playable acoustic guitar neck I’ve ever played.If you like your strings close to the neck and a rich full sound plugged or unplugged don’t hesitate buy it now!!

"Gem" Jumbo guitar !!

First of all, when I got for the first time the guitar in my hands I noticed a very high quality instrument, comfortable, and with a very bassy sound when strummed.

The finish is awesome, golden hardware everywhere (including the Grover tuners that are great (in look and functionality).

Also I noticed that has a natural acoustic sound that matches perfectly for a singer like me. You can play / strum the guitar very hard, always getting a pleasing sound (natural harmonics).

For arpeggios it is not as trebled sounding as my previous guitar which was a dreadnought type, but I think it’s very good in it’s own way. I have to find the sweet spot between (intensity & position of my hand). Getting very nice results with a very equalized sound.

For me it’s a fact that the guitar is getting better as I play it more.

The .012 strings that came with the guitar are very good.

The action is in the right point for getting the best from playing chords.

Plugged in the Fishman won’t let you down, it has a very balanced sound and the tuner inside the preamp works very well.

The preamp battery and the allen key for the truss rod came in a separated bag.

I would definitely recommend buying this product.

Amazing Value easy to play

I bought this guitar because I tried a freinds HB acoustic and it was so easy to play. I own a Washburn which although sounds great has terrible production quality like every Washburn guitar I have purchased. It has such high sting tension due to terrible geometry. I have done extensive work on it but its harder to play than any other acoustic. This custom king is in the opposit camp, great quality construction and easy to play with 12's on . The sound is improving every day (took 6 months for the Washburn to reach full glory) I have only had it for a couple of weeks and I know that a different set of strings is going to make this guitar have sounds off the chart. I gave four stars because this is where I am at at the moment. Dont let this put you off. Most acoustics improve in the first 6 months and I would suggest to let it settle with the strings it came with rather than rushing to change it. I do recommend Newtone Strings as these have bought tremendous tone to two of my guitars one of them a real cheapie. I got the Custom King because I wanted a different sound and I got that. Already the low end on this guitar is rich smooth and without boom. The sound develops with use and in about Two months I will put new strings on it. I have found 11's give the best balance of brightness and tone but we shall see. The guitar is a fantastic deal for the price and is somewhat original in its tonal range. Very good Volume and comfortable to play. Very positive feel to the neck and the standard setup very playable although slight room for improvement but not really required. Non of the recordings I heard before buying this did it justice and none conveyed the wonderful depth of the bass. Thats a mystery to me. You wont regret this purchase. In my opinion better than £600 Takamine

Beautiful Instrument

When I took this out of its case no one would believe it was such a good price. One of my favorites now.

Great product..!

Purchased the unit as it looks good the designs, love cuts.

Satisfied with its finish touched, with its Quality it Sounds perfect.

Fo duh coin

Iv'e looked at the gibson but even the epi's but this is my main plucker around the house. Great wood here if your even considering .

Great guitar, great value!

I have never played a Harley Benton guitar but I decided to take a chance and buy this one. The shipping only took 2 days to get to me, which is crazy fast! The guitar itself is lovely! The fit and finish is good, not perfect, but still, quite good (a tiny cosmetic blemish around the neck joint). The tone is well balanced. The projection is everything I would expect from a Jumbo. The neck is easily as playable as my Martin, almost as playable as my Taylor. The sound, plugged in, is actually better than my Taylor. All in all, I'm very happy I took a chance on this guitar and I hope I'll have many happy years with it. For this price point (I paid $253 + shipping), this is a crazy good guitar!

Awesome!

Great sounding and playing acoustic guitar.

Absolutely unbelievable!!!!

This makes the second one of these I have a ordered,, The first one I ordered was for myself,, I’ve got a friend who is a very skilled luthier,,he takes care of all my guitars,, when he saw mine and inspected it he couldn’t get over it,, seems like every time I talked to him he mention something about this Harley Benton Custom Line King,, then the other day he asked me if I could order him one just exactly like mine, I laughed and said yes,, when this second one around it was unbelievable ,this is a absolutely beautiful ,beautiful guitar ,it is VERY well made,,plays great,,the neck feels good on the hand and very comfortable,, The tone is were this one really really shines,, if you like that deep rich ,rich sound than this guitar is definitely for you,, Absolutely unbelievable!!!!